Car NewsAimed at those searching for the latest automotive news delivered in a timely manner, the news category reports about new car releases and brings exclusive stories from the automotive niche. Car news are delivered every day and focused on those in need of the newest from the automotive world.

Car TechTechnology is constantly changing and evolving, from under the hood to inside the cabin. Plus, with our smartphones, there are more car related apps than ever before. Some apps track your performance and fuel economy while others help you find the best deal on a pre-owned car. We highlight these and other trends while uncovering the benefits (and drawbacks) of the latest car technology.

Test DrivesReading our latest Car Reviews will treat you with professionally written and well executed car reviews from our experts. Extensive galleries of the newest cars and interesting reports on vehicles available are complemented with rigorous appraisement expressed in our Pros and Cons section.

Car TalkMany of our strong feelings, thoughts, and passions about automobiles are reflected here in our editorials. These editorials are based on our observations on the industry and are designed to stimulate conversation about cars and the overall car culture.

MagLev Cars: Why aren’t we floating above the road yet?

Hovering cars might no longer be only an object of fantasy. Soon, you might just be able to park your car right outside the window of your girlfriend’s fifth floor apartment and pick her up for a date – in the skies – how “heavenly” is that!

Well, not for the nerds who spend their time pouring over spooky technologies and figuring out ways to make a car stay suspended in air.
Is that possible? Why not!

Thanks to our good old magnetic force, this is considered to be one of the strongest forces on earth and the only force which is potent enough to defy gravity. If something can make cars fly, magnets can. The question is how?

What is Magnetic Levitation?

Magnetic levitation, fondly called Maglev, is the method through which a vehicle is suspended in the air by using magnetic force to counter gravitational force which pulls the vehicle towards the ground. The technology has been tested on cars.

Simple as it sounds, there is tremendous thought and precision required to make this happen. Maglev technology is in contrast to hovercraft technology in which vehicles are cushioned on a bed of air.Magnetic forces are already in the fore and are being used to drive trains.

While trains do not zoom in mid air, there is a slight gap between the tracks and the train. Magnetic forces keep the vehicle slightly suspended over the tracks and guide the route of the train and trains are able to travel at speeds of over 150mph.

Who is Interested?

All of us are. But then, NASA, which has always been attracted by futuristic things that seem alien to earth, has taken a keen interest in the technology in collaboration with Unimodal, the company which is responsible for inventing the SkyTran.

Volkswagen has shown interest in this technology, which is not surprising really. VW is German you see, and when it comes to automobiles, the Germans cannot let anything as juicy as this slip through their fingers. VW has been developing a prototype of a Maglev triggered suspended car using ideas from people.

The probable design is a two seater a disc like structure (that’s the image at the top of this article,) which looks more like a cylindrical capsule, can stay suspended a few inches above ground level and can zoom forward. They’ve named it “People’s Car Project” and are building it in a country which has the most number of people – China.

So, Why the Hoopla Over Maglev Cars?

On a practical front, the advantages are enormous. Firstly, these are the greenest of the green cars. Since they fly, these cars do not have to counter road friction. As a result, they become very fuel efficient. This benefit alone is the strongest driving force and motivation for scientists – who want to save the world from environmental degradation – to work on it.

The range of movement that you can enjoy on these crafts is stunning. In fact, you can have the capsule spin on a needle tip. Also, Maglev cars could solve some amount of road traffic congestion.

In addition, the development potential is enormous. Special integration with solar power could make the car work on solar power, thereby making it tremendously good on the world ecology. Heat emission from these cars could also be reduced with reduction in exhaust amounts.

Considering the enormous potential of Maglev cars, there is no doubt that these are definitely the future of automobile industry. However, making it work is a Herculean task and not economically feasible with the available technology.

Since cars hover on a bed of magnetic bed, roads need to be magnetized to hold the cars up. If roads are magnetized, they might not be suitable for cars which run on them and not hover. The costs involved in these things are huge.

If there is one thing which can be believed about the human race, it is the fact that nothing is nearly impossible. Who thought flying cars or driverless cars could be a reality? A century ago, who thought people could land on moon?

“Impossible” is fast transforming into a finite element, which can be manipulated and made possible. For the future of automobiles, the most optimistic dream would be to sit back and relax as your driverless Maglev car takes you on a ride around the town.

You'll Also Love These:

Our World is so Polluted ;in the air in Space on the ground and the Oceans and Water-Ways,that earth has become a Dumpsteres,for all countries;With the advent of Maglev Technologies?The Problems can be solved rejecting the Belching Black smokes from the Diesel engingines and the Gasoline Engine ,and not excluding the Jet -Engines of different air lines,all these burning fuel engines are “Hell-Engines” cuz it uses fire to turn the different parts ,with Maglev?it is Clean ,Silent, and serene,and speedier reaching speeds of 300 to 500 miles per Hour,as for passengers Planes? Can be powered with ION-Engine ionizing the air ?and ejecting through the rear of the Planes,and thats another innovations for polutteless environments,Take Heed now time is short,cuz nature is at its wrath for Humans to dirty our Mother Earth ,Who takes care of us dress us house us feed us and cleans us,another reason for storms Is? To rejuvenate the air we breath,,erase the dust and pollutions give food to the different creatures,and hopefully stop CUTTING TREES cuz Trees gives off Oxygens for us all with out oxygen it would indeed be a Dead-Lonely- World,with nary a Human or Animal alive! AMEN

we know that the same pole reflects each other so why cant we design a small mass which has the same composition of earth…… and make the same pole as that of earth facing towards it so that it is suspended above the earth

Hi guys I am an Indian,I am studying my mechanical engineering now ,I am very much interested in manufacturing a maglev automobile ,I have some ideas how to create it,but need still more knowledge, it would be greatful if u give more information on this,Thank you .

This is an awesome concept. This concept has already been used in Total recall(recent) movie. But the biggest drawback is that the magnets either permanent or electro attracks Metals, which is almost in everything you use. So using such powerfull magnets for levitation will attract all the metals in its range.

may i suggest using Electrogravitics/ion drive system, Gyroscopic propulsion, and a monopole magnetic field generator. Power the vehicle with a tritium power cell. Granted the crafts propulsion systems would produce so much radiation that no one could ever fly it. Yes it would probably attract ever piece of ferrous metal around it but it would function in the vacuum of space. The craft could propel itself at some massive speeds without the need for traditional chemical rockets

the saddest thing is no one is even offering people money to even try and work this out…..if they did many would be on it and we would have this within a couple years….take a look at what happened in history when money was handed to people to work things out…..we have planes and cars from people who were everyday people so think what else we could get

Where do I start? Maglev tech has gone not too far. One obstacle is power consumption. If you wan’t to reach any altitude above 6″ the curve becomes very steep. So you will not be going up to the 5th floor to pick up your girlfriend anytime soon. (Like in the movie 5th element) Now if we pave the streets with asphalt containing iron and us a repulsor type maglev system, that might work. Still only a few inches cushion. But if we put a current through it it will keep the surface dry and free from ice. This type of surface may prove to be too aggressive for tire technology today. Now I have an idea for cross country auto travel that has been tried but not fully.